The Barren Queen
by theprettynerdie
Summary: The choice to marry the king has dire consequences for Callina Cousland ... and for Ferelden itself. Callina Cousland/Alistair Theirin.
1. Prologue

"Mother, come see!"

The young boy was smiling up at her, waving his small fists in her direction. Callina smiled back at him and crossed the hall to join him. As she drew near, however, the boy's face fell. His skin turned an ugly shade of grey as he began to snarl.

"It's your fault." The voice was deep, warped, and it echoed all around the chamber. _Your fault, your fault, your fault…_

Callina opened her eyes, shivering from head to foot. Tears fell unbidden from her eyes and sobs racked her entire body.

Then his arms were around her, holding her close to his chest as she cried. He whispered sweet, calming words to her all the while, but she could hardly hear them over the voice still ringing in her head.

_Your fault, your fault, your fault…_


	2. Chapter 1

She had been in bed more than a fortnight before she was permitted to walk unaided again. It didn't suit her in the least, being looked after and told what she could or could not do. She was a Grey Warden, the one who had led the battle that ended the Blight; yet here she was, arguing with servants about her ability to care for herself.

Alistair, meanwhile, had refused to meet with the various lords and ladies who had come to call, insisting on tending to his wife. Callina attempted to dissuade him from this, but found, much to her displeasure, that she was too weak even to argue. Truth be told, she was glad of her husband's company, but not if it was at the expense of important matters. Of course Alistair had maintained that they were not of any pressing concern, but Callina worried all the same.

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

"I want to see it."

Alistair's eyes widened with concern. "My love…" he began.

"I want to _see it_," Callina repeated. "I need to."

"You don't want to," Alistair said in a low voice.

"Alistair, I want to see my son."

"I cannot allow that. This one –"

Callina knew why her lord husband was refusing her. The last child had had horrible red eyes when it had slipped from her womb three months early, wide and ungazing, as still as its heart had been. From the fact that this had been all the more difficult and painful an experience than the last two, there was no doubt in the Queen's mind that the babe was a gruesome sight to behold.

But it was her son. She needed to see him. How could Alistair not understand that?

"I know why you desire this," he said, as if reading her thoughts, "but believe me, you do not want to. I wish I could dash the sight of it from my memory. I will not allow you to be burdened with it. If you only knew, you would truly thank me for this."

She broke many fine things that night in her rage, to the point where several servants had to be called in order to subdue her. When Alistair came to her, he found her sitting straight backed in a chair by the fire, staring into the flames with cold detachment.

"I'll understand if you don't want to talk … or see me. But I just want you to know that I did this because I love you."

He was nearly out the door when Calllina's words, whisper-quiet, reached his ears.

"I know what he looks like."

Alistair turned back to her. "What?"

"I saw him. In my sleep. I thought it was a nightmare, but when you refused to let me see him…" her voice trailed away as her husband took to her side on bended knee.

"We birthed a child of the taint. He was grey, and dark, and evil. Evil though, because of me."

"What are you speaking of?" Alistair said sharply. "Because of you?"

"It is my fault that the line of Calenhad is doomed. Because I loved you too much to do my duty to Ferelden. To let you go. And now –"

In an instant, Alistair's hands found each of her cheeks. He held her gaze gently, steadily, as he cupped her face in his hands.

"No," he said sternly, "don't you think on that for a moment. Do you really think I could love any other? I never wanted to be king, you know that. But I've always wanted you. Don't let the history of the kingdom fool you into believing that your duty need step in the way of really living. "

He pressed his lips to hers as she wept softly, then gathered her in his arms and held her close.

Of her husband's love for her, Callina had no doubt. But she knew what King Maric had done in order to secure the throne for its rightful leaders, the descendants of the great King Calenhad. Perhaps Alistair had fooled himself into believing that history was about individuals, but Callina knew better. Her father's words came back to her, always: Do your duty. And that meant in all things.

She could not produce an heir. Not for the king, not for Ferelden. More than that, she had not made sure that the kingdom had a fighting chance for one when she had married Alistair. Two Grey Wardens trying to produce an heir to King Calenhad's legacy … how could she have been so stupid?

_Your fault, your fault, your fault._

_Yes,_ Callina thought, _my fault._


	3. Chapter 2

Alistair fretted. For the first year, he constantly worried about the baby; the one Morrigan was carrying in her belly. Callina understood his concerns. And though it had ensured her continued existence, the fact that she herself would not be the one to bear her husband his first child was a dreadful thing to contend with.

Callina knew that Alistair felt that she need not apologize for convincing him to lie with Morrigan in the first place; that did not prevent her from doing so, however. Only when her husband had held her face in his hands, placing gentle kisses all along her cheek and neck, and told her that it meant nothing, nothing at all, because it meant he got to hold Callina in his arms, did she relent.

The thing Alistair worried over was not the act, but the child itself. What would it truly be? Would Morrigan come to use his child against him – against the kingdom? Callina, for her part, had no fear of it; she had come to consider Morrigan her closest friend during the war against the Blight, and had hurried off to the Korcari Wilds to aid Morrigan in defeating Flemeth without hesitation. She did not doubt that Morrigan had offered to lay with her fiancée on the eve of battle, not principally for the child the union would bring forth, but because she truly wanted to save her dear friend's life.

She took him in deeply that night, begging him to ride her long and hard as her body turned to liquid fire beneath him. Alistair was ever so gentle as he rocked against her, kissing at her mouth and neck all the time. And when it was done, Callina prayed to the Maker seriously for the first time in years. She begged him to put her husband's child inside of her.

When the Maker answered her, it was with pain. In the first month of her pregnancy, Callina suffered horrible pains. The midwife had insisted that this was typical, but somehow, Callina knew better. Unwilling to shirk her duties as princess consort of Ferelden, she endured it all at court on her husband's arm, smiling as widely as she dared before it turned to a painful grimace.

In the third month, Callina bled. Alistair held her close as she lamented over the miscarriage, assuring her that they might try again when she found herself able and willing. Yet she wept for the omen, in truth, just as she cried for the life stolen from their midst.

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

Callina joined the king's small court scarcely a week later, unwilling to present herself as weary or weak. Yet it seemed the women there understood her struggles, for they appeared to be somehow in tune with her condition; they gave Callina kind gazes and gentle words, their only way of truly expressing their understanding without speaking it. It did nothing to soothe Callina's heart.

Alistair saw to it that every small comfort Callina could want was provided for, be it incense, perfumed baths, or fine wine. That evening they shared the very best he could offer: sausages with buttered carrots, delicate goat's cheese, ale-and-onion-soaked mutton, mashed turnips with cloves and cinnamon, and sugared lemon cakes and baked apples. It was very rich food that Callina knew only befit a queen who could perform her proper duties.

She had no notion that child-bearing was her role as a woman and wife. Rather, she took it upon herself to provide an heir to the throne since it was she who, when given the opportunity, had not given up her chance to remain by her husband's side. Ferelden needed a Theirin on the throne; Callina's own selfish need to marry her king could not take precedence over that.

So she took her bath, laden with the most enchanting of the perfumes her lord husband had given to her, and had the servants draw up fresh linens for her bedchamber. She prayed and prayed to the Maker on bended knee until the sound of Alistair's approaching footsteps reached her.

As she got to her feet, her husband gave her a steady look.

"I thought," she whispered, moving her hands to unfasten her nightdress, "we might try again."

"Stop," he replied, crossing over to her. Callina looked up at him in confusion before he bent down to place a long, loving kiss to her lips and took the garment in hand himself.

Whether or not Alistair blamed her, as Callina did, for the situation was settled the moment he kissed her. Tonight he was not working to try again, but to soothe his wife. Callina was grateful, of course, but as she felt his tongue pry her lips apart, she prayed his heart was in the same place hers was, if only to bring life forth.

Alistair kissed her for a very long time, tasting every single inch of her he could find. He sucked at her neck with a sense of calm urgency as he moved her backward, onto the bed. When Callina made to unfasten his breeches, however, Alistair stilled her hands.

"Not yet, love," he murmured against her soft, scented skin. Callina's sound of protest was silenced by yet another deep kiss from her husband. He was always so focused on her pleasure; she tried to enjoy herself more fully, as she always had before, but there was a real sense of urgency inside her now. Did he not understand that the only way she would be at peace was when his child grew within her?

She must have cried aloud, because Alistair drew back and looked deeply into her eyes. Desperation was written plainly on her face, and he sighed sadly.

"This is not just about getting me inside of you, you know," he said softly. "How are we to be sure the child will grow strong if it is born only of necessity, not of love?"

Callina knew it was partly to calm her, to be sure she would find enjoyment from their union, but she also knew that her husband spoke the truth. She muttered apologies that were waved away at once.

Alistair kissed his way along her skin as his hands untied the fastenings of her nightdress and chemise_. So much easier when they were at their camp fighting darkspawn_, he had told her on their wedding night, _without all these fine trappings_. But a warrior dressed his or her part. _Warriors at court_, she'd replied, _wear a different sort of armor_. He'd laughed at that and kissed her hard.

Tonight he palmed her bare breasts, thumbs tweaking each nipple and kissing them in turn. Callina felt the fire in her bones then. As she reached up to pull his tunic from his shoulders, she forgot her strength; the fabric ripped cleanly apart. Her husband's laugh thrummed against her right breast as he sucked at it more insistently now; the ruined tunic seemed only to inflame his passions further. _A child born of fire_, Callina thought idly, as he pulled the tunic away and ran his hands through her hair. Her hands found his back, where they dug painfully into the skin there as she clutched at it. He spent a fair amount of time nestled in her bosom before he looked up at his wife; the hunger in his eyes was great. Then he lowered himself to he crevice between her thighs; before Callina could let out a single sound, Alistair pressed his mouth to her. She moaned loudly, a hand tangled in the hair at the back of his head. He kissed her there, just once, gentle as could be, before his tongue entered her. He continued his ministrations there until his wife leaned her head back on the pillow and all but wailed in delight as she came against his mouth. Then he slid back up to her side and kissed her neck sweetly.

Callina's ragged sighs steadied as she came back to her senses. Her hand drifted to Alistair's breeches then, and when he did not dissuade her, she dipped her hand inside his pants and grasped his manhood. He growled against her ear and pulled his breeches away as she stroked him. When his fingers came to touch her breasts again, Callina shifted to face her husband and placed his cock against her center.

"Please," she whispered. That was all it took. Alistair pushed forward, and in an instant he was sheathed fully inside her. Callina cried out softly as he rolled her onto her back, caressed her breasts roughly, and sucked harshly at the side of her neck. Then he was moving within her, and Callina murmured against her husband's ear as he rode her. She wanted him to come inside her, she knew, but she wanted his pleasure to remain a while longer yet. This would be a child born of fire.

Alistair grunted as Callina's hand tightened its grip on his hair and she spread her legs wider. He slipped in deeper, fucked her in earnest steadily, then moved to grip her thighs. He lifted them over his shoulders, thrust home roughly, and left a harsh bite on Callina's neck that made her yell out in delighted surprise. She lifted her ass off the bed to meet Alistair's thrusts easily until murmurs turned to soft screams.

"I love you, I love you," she cried out as she came once more. Alistair pressed a rough kiss to her lips, buried himself completely within her straight to her core, and emptied himself inside her. Callina felt his scream of pleasure pass to her lips as he kissed her mouth, and smiled. Alistair drew his head back and looked into his queen's eyes. His gaze was glassy-eyed and filled with the haze of the afterglow he shared with her.

He wrapped his arms around Callina and held her close for a good long while before he slipped out of her. She moaned softly at the loss of his warmth, but smiled gently as he pressed another kiss to her lips.

Callina was a fighter. And this child within her would be too.


	4. Chapter 3

The camp was cold without him.

Callina shivered slightly as the wind swept across the field, whipping the flaps of her tent about. It had been a week since she had set out with three caravans and a handful of her queensguard and several Grey Wardens for the south of the Bannorn. When word of darkspawn activity there reached the ear of the king. In response, he asked Callina to travel there to sort out the trouble stirring. Though it always hurt to bid her husband goodbye, she was glad of the chance to do something she knew she could do well.

Then she had traveled a few days with her thoughts. Three children, all dead. She remembered the night she had become a Warden. Callina had accepted the taint to end the darkspawn. And it was the reason she was now infertile.

Yes, she thought. She had no doubt of it now. For all intents and purposes the very thing that had brought an end to the Blight, and brought her to Alistair, was now the thing that damned them. Doing her duty, as her father had told her, had been easy enough then. But it seemed that duty was not always forged in blood and honor. It was in the decisions you made, the important ones. Not leaving Alistair, painful as it would have been, to secure an heir for Ferelden had been the biggest dereliction of duty imaginable. Her father Teyrn Cousland would have been ashamed.

Callina had not set eyes on Morrigan for some years now, but she found herself dreaming of her when she slept that night. She awoke at dawn and ordered the camp packed up, her mind drifting to the child of hers. Her husband's bastard son, who Morrigan had said must be prepared for his destiny. After a time Callina had buried the guilt she'd had over persuading her then-fiancé to lay with her friend, since she well knew that Alistair had come to accept the existence of a bastard child far away a small price to pay for his queen's life.

Callina shook her head to clear it as they marched forth. She had work to do.

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

Several days later, Callina's feet were pleasantly sore from walking as she and her party set foot in Bann Westeley's lands. A small force met them at the middle of the pass leading into the village nearby.

"My queen," the leader said, bowing to her. The rest of his men followed suit. "We are pleased to greet you to our lands. I do wish it were under better circumstances, of course."

"Please," Callina replied, "I am merely a Commander here, not the queen. No need to be so formal."

"Yes, of course," the man said. "I am Ser Allard. I am to deliver you to the Bann himself."

Callina followed the young man with her force following closely in her wake.

"I should like to have some idea of the state of the lands under the siege of the darkspawn," she said. "How are you all faring?"

"It's not been easy," Allard admitted. "I'm certain it is not nearly as dire as the situation in Amaranthine was, but all the same, people are not well. The darkspawn strike after nightfall, and so far we've lost a good deal of men who went up against them."

"Have you been able to locate where they are coming into the lands?"

"No, I'm afraid not. We have some ideas, but nothing we have the manpower to act on."

"Where was the first attack?"

Allard shrugged. "We still aren't sure. Two separate areas at least two miles apart reported attacks happening at the exact same time. And it isn't likely that the darkspawn coordinated an attack like that without an archdemon to guide them, is it?"

"Perhaps not," Callina said, thinking of the Mother. This could be a similar case, but that would mean that the Architect had let his experimentation get out of control again. It also meant that there was a specific goal in mind, yet attacking isolated lands in the Bannorn did not appear to be part of any ulterior motive. It was all very odd.

Bann Westeley's estate was a handsome thing, with perfectly manicured flowerbeds and sparkling clean windows and walls. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of the buildings and homes they had passed on their way through the lands for the past couple of hours; those were all modest and unkempt, and bore the unmistakable mark of darkspawn attacks. Yet wouldn't the Bann's home be the place to target if there was a clear reason for such coordinated attacks on the land?

A guard was stationed at the main gate. "Welcome, Queen Callina," he said, bowing his head ever so slightly. He turned to Allard. "I will take her from here."

Allard nodded, then turned to kiss Callina's hand. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, ser," he said, and then he was gone.

"Follow me, my lady," the guard said, turning to open the gates for her. "The Bann should like to meet with you privately."

Callina did not move. "I should not like to meet your lord unless I've a sufficient number of Wardens behind me. A commander's precaution, you understand."

The guard did not seem pleased. "The Bann has made it know," he said in a low voice, "that he shall not meet with under any other circumstances."

"Then he shan't have my help, I fear," Callina said lightly. Traveling as a wanted Grey Warden during a Blight was one thing; now, precaution was somehow even more necessary. The fact that a Bann would even make demands of a queen in the first place, most especially when he was in need of her help to defend his lands, came as a bit of a shock to her. It was more the fact that he would entertain the very notion of doing so to a woman of her standing in the first place, not merely that he did it to Callina herself, was what was particularly queer. As the daughter of a teyrn, she knew the courtesies of the world as well as anyone. As such, proper etiquette, while it never was a principal concern of hers, still resonated in the back of her mind; bad etiquette, meanwhile, stuck out like a sore thumb. Nevertheless, Callina held herself with quiet dignity and did not let any of this reflect on her features. The guard frowned and stared at her, apparently weighing his options. Finally he said, "Five others. That's all."

"Seven, I should think." Callina was not particularly worried, but it would not be right for her to simply accept a guard's terms on their own. She was expected, as queen, to always end an agreement on her own terms, lest she seem the weaker party. It was one of the many things she'd come to learn at court.

The guard scowled, then grunted his assent as he ordered the gates open. Callina turned to her forces.

"Seven of you shall accompany me to meet the Bann. I should like to bring Celestine, Kinnan, Cevelt, Modric, Aludra, Kassina, and Senira." The Wardens stepped forward from the group and followed Callina into the estate proper.

It was just as grand inside as it was from the grounds, perhaps even more so. Stark, pearly white walls glistened, and the equally bright marble floors made their footsteps echo throughout the halls. It was slightly eerie, as the place was all but empty. When at last they reached a large, ornate oak door, the guard turned to her, gave her a brusque nod, and opened it.

The room inside was high-ceilinged and sumptuously decorated. Unlike the rest of the estate, there was a reasonably large crowd gathered here, with all in attendance dressed in finely tailored garb. The sea of people parted as the guard ferried them to either side of the hall and led Callina and her party to the high table. A man who could be none other than Bann Westeley was seated there wearing a deep purple doublet and sipping from a crystal class of red wine. His dark brown eyes narrowed as she approached.

"My queen," he said softly with a slight nod of his head. He did not, as etiquette dictated, rise in her presence. "I see you've brought guests."

He shot a sharp look at the guard, but Callina replied immediately. "You would not begrudge the Queen of Ferelden her guard, would you? Especially with darkspawn about."

"The Hero of Ferelden brings a guard then?" It was a slight, Callina knew, but she did not let her expression falter, even with the collective intake of breath of the Wardens behind her.

"Certainly I do," she said. "I travel a great deal, and it would not do for anything untoward to befall the Hero Queen of our kingdom. But as I recall I came to discuss you, Bann Westeley. You have no idea where the darkspawn are coming from, or why they are attacking your lands?"

The Bann looked her up and down before replying. "None. Though I suppose the Wardens will see to that. I've arranged a meeting between the high guards of the land and your forces. Yet there is other troubling news to tell, I fear. News that I cannot afford to speak aloud in the presence of company, mine or yours."

Callina looked at him carefully. His demeanor was not encouraging, to say the least. But he had said that he would speak away from his own guard too.

"Very well," she said. "But I should like to do it in a smaller room."

"My thoughts exactly, my lady. Come. The rest of your men –" he looked at the Wardens, then, seeing the four woman, added, "ah, guard, may remain here in the meantime."

Callina nodded as the Bann rose, and followed him as he swept from the room. They traveled down the long corridor in silence until Westeley opened a small door at the end of the hall and beckoned her inside. Callina kept a hand near the sword at her back, just in case.

"Well?" she asked without preamble, "what is this business you speak of?"

"Ah, my queen, foul business it is," he replied, reaching for a bottle of wine from the nearby table. "Some syrah?"

"None for me," Callina said politely. She hardly ever drank when there were important matters to deal with. When Westeley had finished pouring his first glass and gulped down a healthy portion, he spoke again.

"I've heard talk of a plan, one that most certainly involves you. Hence my reluctance to speak plainly inside with so many people walking about. The fact is, since your ascent to the throne, there have been whispers. Many whispers."

"Do you believe, Bann Westeley, that the king and I are not already aware of these whispers?"

"I should think so," Westeley replied, crossing to the door to bolt it. "However the ones I speak of are new. And quite alarming. Would you believe me if I told you that these darkspawn attacks are truly a coordinated effort by our mutual enemies to prevent me from imparting this wisdom to you?"

Callina blinked. "Why would the darkspawn be interested in the kingdom's rumors?"

"Because I do not believe my guards have been giving me the full story. I believe they are working with this enemy to make it seem as though it is darkspawn attacking my lands, when it is really something far more complicated."

Callina pondered the Bann's words. They seemed to make a sort of sense based on what she had already seen and heard. Yet she had the strangest feeling there was a piece of the puzzle missing.

"But the very fact that there are rumors would not be something so secret that someone would coordinate an attack against you," she said. "There's something specific, is there not?"

Westeley smiled sadly. "Well yes, there is. However, I don't believe I can simply give you this information."

"What do you mean?" Callina asked, brows furrowed.

"My queen, I require certain reassurances. Protections that the kingdom might provide for me for my dedicated service, for example."

"You seem well protected here inside your estate. There seems to have been no damage to it or the surrounding lands whatsoever."

"I fear my lands, much less my estate, will not do me much good once I pass my information on to you, my lady," he said. "If I am to do so, I will need a new place of my own. A courtly place."

Callina stared at him. "You want me to guarantee you a place in my husband's court, don't you?"

"It would be much appreciated," Westeley said. "I assure you my information is very good."

The queen considered the proposal for a good long while. She already knew she did not want to meet this man ever again, yet if he were to come to the palace … that would not do. However, the threat the Bann had assured her was genuine would need to be known.

"I will allow you to come along to pass your information directly to the king. If he deems it genuine, he may consider a decent position for you, though I do not speak for him myself. That is the best I can offer you under the circumstances."

Westeley sighed. "I suppose it will have to do." He glanced up at Callina and put his wine glass down on the table beside them. "Shall we seal the deal with a kiss then, my lady?"

Callina's blood ran cold as he walked slowly toward her. "Are you quite mad?" she said softly.

"Perhaps so," the Bann laughed. "But a beautiful woman such as yourself should drive most men and women mad. Come now." He crossed to Callina in two strides and, in an instant, he pinned her against the wall, hands grasping both her arms roughly. "Now how about that kiss?"


	5. Chapter 4

As Bann Westeley bent forward to claim her lips, Callina shoved forward and bent her knee. It collided with his groin, and he fell to the ground in pain. Before he could regain his strength, Callina withdrew a small hunting knife from her belt, pushed him backward onto the hard stone floor, and pressed the blade to his throat.

"Need I remind you that I am not just the queen of Ferelden, but also the commander of the Grey Wardens? Did you really think you could simply make demands of me, and that I would be too delicate to fight back?" Her voice was quiet, laced with deadly anger. "Now I propose a different sort of bargain. You tell me everything you know right now, and you get to keep your head."

The man beneath her quivered. Then he began to talk.

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

The fact that darkspawn were not coordinating an attack, for the first time in living memory, was not a comfort for Callina. In her experience, humans were more of a threat than demons in the long run.

As it turned out the Bann had collected his closest allies and they had all more or less holed up inside his estate while the guards were sent out to distract the forces attacking the land. That explained the pristine condition of the building; false trails and the like had been employed in order to convince enemies that Westeley was hiding out in several different corners of the lands. They were not attacking the estate; they were attacking innocent villages, the ones Westeley had had his men ensure were made targets.

This left Callina in a difficult position. The Bann would have to be taken to face the king's judgment; aside from this terrible crime, he had also attempted to blackmail the commander of the Grey Wardens, the queen, and his wife. But if word that she was transporting this high value target across Ferelden, the party was sure to encounter assassins aplenty. On the other hand, if they still believed Westeley was hiding on his lands, the attacks on innocents would continue.

Callina led the Bann by knifepoint to the door of his main hall. "You will tell everyone assembled in there that they are to retire for the evening to their respective rooms. If you breathe another word to alert anyone to this situation –"she pressed the knife against his back, "– things will not end well for you. I assure you, the Queen's wrath is a far greater thing to fear than the king's. Just ask any archdemon."

Weseley gulped, then strode into the room. Callina replaced her knife within her belt and followed him inside.

"My friends," he said grandly, "I must ask that you retire to your respective quarters. The Queen and I have much very dull business to discuss with the Wardens. I shall see you tomorrow morning at breakfast, at half past first light."

The Bann's assembly swept from the hall one by one, some looking confused, while still others seemed put off. None, however, spoke a word of protest. When the Wardens were the only ones left in the hall, Callina spoke.

"The Bann shall be coming with us. We must make haste. Once we are back outside on the grounds I shall explain the situation to you."

All seven nodded as Callina withdrew her knife once more. "And be on your guard. Just in case."

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

"So there were never any darkspawn here?" Senira's eyes narrowed. "That son of a bitch. Did he really think that you would allow him to get away with sacrificing his own people?"

"I think the Bann was a fool in more ways than one," Callina replied. "The king will not stand for any of this. He knows how precious Grey Wardens are. Abusing the use of them will not please him, just as using darkspawn as a cover to explain why he had his own people killed will enrage him."

"And what he tried to do to you –" Modric began.

"That is simply lechery on top of it all. My husband shall condemn this man for what he has done to the people of Ferelden, not his wife. He knows I can handle myself, after all."

"Yes, just so, my lady. I can imagine he'll have satisfaction in seeing him get what he deserves because of this. If you pardon my speaking."

"You are not out of place, Modric. I am your commander here, not your Queen."

"You are always my Queen, ser. But I shall remember your words in future. So what are we to do now?"

Callina turned to the Wardens and took a deep breath. "We shall need to travel by stealth. I do not want word of the Bann's disappearance from the Bannorn known until we are well on our way. That means we must leave here at once. But we also must ensure that the people here are protected. We shall need to have word travel that Bann Weseley no longer feels it safe to remain in his own lands after all these darkspawn attacks. I do not want it known that I have even met with him. And hopefully that will keep the enemy from targeting innocents whom they believe to be harboring an informant to the crown.

I shall need several quick-footed soldiers to carry these rumors. They'll infiltrate the taverns and inns disguised as guards who cannot hold their ale. Then they will blurt out that the Bann has left his hiding place. Where he has gone, they cannot say. He simply left in the dead of night with his men, leaving no word about where he planned on going."

"If we have this done," Kinnan said slowly, "won't it seem as though Bann Weseley has left for the royal palace to speak to you in person?"

"It will until we let it be known that another traveling man staying at an inn saw a caravan with a man matching the Bann's description heading in the direction of Redcliffe. We'll send soldiers to meet with Arl Eamon to tell him what is transpiring. With any luck, enemy forces that appear there can be contained by his men, and they can try to get information out of them as well."

The Wardens nodded solemnly, then left the tent to attend to their business. They had precious little time until dawn, and they would need to leave as soon as possible to ensure the success of her plan. If Bann Weseley's guests woke to find him missing before they left, all would be exposed.

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

Scarcely an hour later they were on their way. Westeley was stationed inside one of the caravans, restrained and guarded by two soldiers. Nobody who passed them in their travels was to know he was among them. Luckily the group met very few as they moved north, save for several merchants.

The real trouble started on their third evening. Callina insisted that they move at night, so as to avoid unwanted attention. Unfortunately, this meant bumping into the inevitable group of bandits. The ones the caravans encountered were dressed all in black, with the same golden emblem sewn to the right breast pocket of their long tunics.

"Sorry m'lords, but the road is closed," the nearest man said, waving his hand apologetically. "Might you use the long winding road to your left? Tis the only way to get by now, I'm afraid."

Had they been simple travelers, the caravans' forces might have believed this to be a genuine inconvenience. But the way the men behind the speaker stood, legs poised for a strike, and the lack of any distinguishable issue with the road ahead, told Callina otherwise. She had been seated in the second caravan with her cloak turned up, to hide her identity from the men and women her party passed by. She had every confidence in her second-in-command however.

"I see no obstruction," Senira said lightly. "I thank you sirs for your concern over the welfare of the land's travelers, but there is no further need."

"I assure you, good lady, the road is closed." This must be the leader, Callina thought. It was clear that the caravans were being guarded well by a force of soldiers. This meant that they were transporting precious cargo. This bandit was seizing the opportunity to take in a nice big haul in spite of the number by which they were outnumbered and outmatched. Unless he had an ace hidden up his sleeve, he was acting a fool.

Callina peeked out at the group of bandits, trying to find that ace, as Senira replied, "The road is not closed to us. We will pass, and you will clear out of here." The tone in her voice, though polite, maintained an undercurrent of authority. Her meaning was clear: _We know what you are, and we will not stand for it._ The bandit laughed.

As he did so, one of the men behind him gave a start. As Callina's eyes flicked to him, she spotted the slightest of energies emanating from his fingertips. That's when she noticed his staff.

She jumped from the caravan, her sword at her side, and made her way to Senira's side. She lifted the hood of her cloak to obscure her face once more.

"There is an apostate behind him," she whispered to Senira, so softly the bandit could not hear her. Senira's eyes narrowed.

"Should you refuse to let us by peacefully, we shall have to take in that apostate of yours." Senira sounded apologetic, though Callina knew she was anything but. The bandit turned white. "It should be an easy enough job for us, since we happen to be traveling with several templars. You don't want me to have to disturb them with this, do you?"

The man spluttered, looking scared and slightly furious. Then he bowed his head, turned back to his group, and said, "Let em pass."

"But –" one of them began.

"Let em pass, damn you."

Relieved of the fact that the trouble had been resolved so easily, Callina walked back to her caravan and hauled herself back to her seat as they began to move forward again.

They did not meet many hoards of bandits such as the one traveling with the apostate after that. This was fortunate, for Callina wanted to travel fast and carefully, and the two aims were mutually exclusive under most circumstances. By the end of the ninth day of traveling, Callina could feel that the most treacherous portion of their journey was behind them as they crossed underneath the sky along Dragon's Peak. She swore she could smell the Denerim air as they walked, but she still remained vigilant. Just when you let your guard down is when the enemy got a hold on you. She could not afford to get complacent now, and she said as much to her forces.

"Until we are within the gates of Denerim," she had said, "we act as though we are still on the other side of the kingdom in hostile territory." The Wardens and soldiers had nodded in agreement and then taken her command to heart. The entire party remained stalwart and straight-backed until they quite literally crossed past the city gates.

Alistair was waiting just there to greet them all upon their return. Much as Callina would have liked to fall straight into his arms, she kept herself poised as she met her beaming husband.

"Welcome back to Denerim, dear wife."

"It is wonderful to be back, dear husband."

He took her arm and led her through the city. "I only just received word that you were arriving two days ago. I had not thought to see you for another week and a half, at the very least. The darkspawn are dealt with, I assume?"

"I would not be home so early were that the case."

Alistair frowned. "Then – how are you here now?"

"I dare not speak any of this aloud until we are back at the palace, and behind many closed doors. In the second caravan behind me there is an, ah, item of interest. It would not do to unload it in front of prying eyes. Perhaps have it guided toward Eamon's old estate and removed behind the gates?"

Her husband nodded. "It shall be done. It is good to see you well, in any case."

Callina held on to Alistair's arm gratefully as they marched through the city. No matter how fierce a warrior and woman she was, it still pleased her to have his warm body and words to turn to. Here, at least, she felt safe.

Callina did not join the majority of her men and women as they took their leave to regroup from the trying journey. She would have liked nothing more than a lovely perfumed bath, but there were pressing matters to discuss. She and Alistair made their way to Eamon's estate, with the caravan holding the Bann followed behind them. Her small force of Wardens walked along in its wake, and once the gates to the estate were closed, they moved to open it up.

At once, Callina turned to her husband and said "As it happens, there were no darkspawn at all. It was all a ruse."

Whatever Alistair had been expecting, it had not been that. "No darkspawn? Then – I don't understand. Why would the Bann say they were there and waste your time and energies?"

"Politics, naturally. You are aware of the brimming conspiracy?"

"The one where part of the kingdom plots to remove you from my side? Indeed. Was Weseley part of this plot? Did he try to kill you?" Alistair's voice began to shake with barely suppressed rage.

"No," Callina said, placing a hand on his arm to calm him, "but he was the one spreading rumors that the darkspawn were killing the people of his lands. True enough, killings have been occurring across the region. But the ones doing the killings are ostensibly part of this conspiracy. The Bann had been hiding in his estate, spreading tales of his whereabouts to keep those men far away from him. They were attacking him because he has information about the conspiracy they would not want me or you to hear."

Alistair turned and began to pace, trying to process all Callina had told him. "So," he said finally, "you are saying that Weseley has been letting his own people get massacred to protect himself from harm? That he allowed them to believe their families were victims of an ancient evil, when they were truly innocents in a plot? Where is this fiend?"

"Now you see why I wanted to unload the caravan here," Callina replied, as Celestine opened the door of the caravan and pulled Bann Weseley out of it.

"The Bann is here to await the king's judgment, Your Grace," Callina said calmly. "Pray you stay your hand until you hear the information he has, which cost Weseley lands so many innocent lives."

Alistair fixed the Bann with a dark glare before sighing deeply. "Quite right, my dear," he said. "Celestine, Cevelt, bring this man along to the Sealed Chamber."

The Wardens nodded and brought Weseley along. The man did not offer a word of protest, but merely groaned in a feeble sort of way.

"The road has not been kind to him, I fear," Callina remarked. "I am sure he has never suffered a day without good wine and food a day in his life before we took him."

"Good," Alistair said. Then he turned back to her. "Are you quite certain he is not involved in this plot against you?"

"When you hear what he has to tell, you will know as I do."

"What about the attacks?"

"I've sent out more than a dozen men with rumors of the bann's unexpected leave of absence. He was taken in the night, though many will hear that he left of his own accord. To Redcliffe. I've sent word along to Eamon to expect possible conspirators. If we are lucky, he should be able to catch a few. In any case, Redcliffe is in the opposite direction of Denerim. They won't believe Weseley headed here unless my scouts have failed in their job; they certainly did not find me on the trail between the Bannorn and here."

Alistair took her hands in his own. "You have done well, Callina. Thought through every possible circumstance and handled it accordingly. You deserve a feast."

"I'd like that very much, Alistair."

Her husband smiled as he leaned in to kiss her lips. "I'll make the preparations. In the meantime, would you like to clean yourself up before we attend to our … guest?"

"Indeed."

Alistair smiled, then held out his arm, which Callina took at once. Together, they climbed into the empty caravan, and the remaining soldier brought them on their way.


	6. Chapter 5

Callina breathed in deeply and found herself enfolded in the smell of lavender, orris, and rosewater. She was glad of the fact that she had hot water to bathe in at last. Unfortunately she did not have all the time in the world to indulge herself, since she needed to join Alistair in the Sealed Chamber where they would hear Bann Weseley plead his case. She was resolved to keep to herself the fact that he had tried to blackmail her into sleeping with him until after her husband had more or less made his decision about what to do with him. She did not want his feelings for her to cloud his judgment; though she was fairly certain his ruling would be the same either way, she did not want him to question himself about it after the fact.

Callina stepped out of the tub and a servant rushed forward to dry her off at once. Once in her rooms, a second and third joined her and helped Callina dry and comb her hair and blush her cheeks. A fourth helped her dress in a deep bloodred gown with lace-wristed sleeves. For all its weight and unyielding material, armor was most certainly more comfortable than the gowns; yet she adored the latter a great deal more at times. She felt elegant and grand and every bit the queen she was. She swept from the room, carrying her skirts about her as she headed for the Sealed Chamber.

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

The Sealed Chamber was a hall in the palace used whenever the king found it necessary to hear crimes to pass judgment on. Typically, lesser issues were taken up with the Arl of each district of the kingdom, but there were some that only a king should deal with. Certainly Bann Weseley's crimes fit the description.

When Callina arrived, Alistair was already seated at the high seat at the far end of the chamber. She took the seat directly beside him and he leaned over to press a kiss gently to her cheek. "You smell lovely," he murmured. Callina did nothing to hide the red flush from creeping upon her cheeks, but merely said a cursory word of thanks as he took her hand.

It was then that Alistair gave the order for Bann Weseley to be brought before them. Weseley had grown thinner over the course of the journey from his estate, and his beard had grown untidy. His piercing gray eyes looked up at the king and queen as he came to a stop just at the edge of the steps leading up to the high table.

"Bann Weseley, you are here to answer for endangering the lives of your very people in a ruse that only the coldest of hearts could allow. Do you deny this charge?"

"Your Grace," Weseley cleared his throat. "I – cannot deny that I had rumors spread about my whereabouts. But I assure you, I did not intend for anyone to die as a result. I meant only to preserve my safety."

"I find it hard to believe that you didn't assume innocents would be slaughtered, or else you'd have nothing to fear by letting your real whereabouts made public."

"I did not kill a single man, woman, or child."

"You did not make the killing cut, true enough, but you set the blade in motion. You would be seen as just as guilty as the men who stole so many lives in the name of finding you."

"I did as I did only so that I might escape, to tell you of the plot against your wife's life!"

"My wife, the _queen,_ Bann Weseley." Alistair was so very touchy about men forgetting Callina's standing; he would always make it plain that the title of queen held the same modicum of respect as that of the king in matters such as these. The only difference, he contended, was that the king spoke last. "Are you suggesting that you sacrificed the lives of your people because you simply treasured the queen so dearly? "

"That is it exactly, Your Highness," Weseley agreed at once. "I assure you I did not make the decision before fretting over it long and hard, and my guilt thus far has not yet been assuaged."

Alistair stared at the man for a few moments before continuing. "And what is this information that cost the kingdom so many lives, might I ask?"

"My king," Bann Weseley said, leaning down on bended knee, "I should like to beg for asylum at your court. I am certain I would be of great use to you, Your Grace."

"I will not grant you any assurances unless I am certain that this information you possess was truly worth the lives you claim it is. As it stands, if I am satisfied and grant you what you ask, it is only on the condition that it may be properly verified. I reserve the right to rescind my protection should it prove otherwise."

The Bann nodded nervously, then began to talk.

"I was hosting a feast at my estate a little under a year ago. There had been unrest among some of the nobility and I was to broker a bit of peace if I could. The Arls of the many cities in the Bannorn came, along with a choice selection of the land's respected and influential lords and ladies. Of course such a gathering is a perfect opportunity for sordid dealings and the like, so I had my eyes and ears open, as it were.

"The husband of the late Lady Liza Packton met with several nobles to revive the fight against the Warden-Commander who took his wife's life. One lady raised the point that there is now a new Warden-Commander, that they now speak simply of Queen Callina. Lord Packton replied that her station does not matter, that she is still a killer who oversaw the undoing of all he and his wife and fellows accomplished under Arl Howe. As I understand it, another source of mine overheard that this plan has the support of many, including the Arl of Nustein and Lords Asterbrock and Cortrell.

"They believe that it is highly suspicious that there are two Grey Wardens on the throne, one of them not even a trueborn son of the king, the other with a family killed by Arl Howe and likely to have a grudge against his family and supporters. And after the Queen was placed as Warden-Commander, it seems, they say, that the Wardens mean to take the kingdom for themselves. The ranks were decimated after the battle at Ostagar, and your survival seemed most fortuitous. Many still believe Loghain's lie that it was the Wardens who were responsible for the defeat there. 'Of course it is seen as a lie,' I'm told one of them said, 'The king and queen are the ones who came out the victors.'

"One of them also said that there is no proof that you, my king, are truly the son of King Maric and brother of King Cailan. It … has been suggested that you seemed to come at just the right time to take the throne from the late king's widow, Queen Anora. Someone believes that you may even be an Orlesian sympathizer or an Orlesian yourself, here to snatch the crown back for the usurpers once again.

A few days after the feast, I received word that one of my ears that evening had disappeared. Then he turned up dead. Tortured for information. Word came to me that he told the conspirators who took him that I knew of their plot. Two days after that, an attempt was made on my life. One of my own guard tried to stab me in my sleep. After that I gathered all in the Bannorn who I knew to be loyal and made plans to bring word of the plot to your ears, Your Highness."

When he had finished speaking, the Bann looked up at the king. "I did not think I could trust anyone to carry the news of this plan lest they fall victim to the conspirators' blades. I needed to get a message to you about the trouble in the land but could not even leave my estate without the possibility of meeting assassins. I – didn't know what else to do."

The silence following Bann Weseley's story was pronounced. Then the king spoke.

"I appreciate the dedication you had in bringing this to me, Bann Weseley," he said. "This is a great deal for me to digest just now. I will need to have some time to consider this."

When the Bann was ushered out of the chamber, Alistair turned to Callina. "I don't like it," he said at once. "You can't tell me there was no other way to avoid having his own people slaughtered as a simple distraction. There must be something else he isn't telling us, something that would prove he sacrificed his countrymen maliciously and knowingly, or else he has something he wants to hold against us to secure his freedom in case I do not rule in his favor."

"Exactly," Callina agreed; every single one of these thoughts had already crossed her mind.

"You saw his estate, spoke to the Bann privately. What can you say on his behalf?"

"I don't think he is to be trusted. Anyone who addressed me as he did, anyone with a guard who did the same, cannot be said to have his priorities set." At the sight of Alistair's quizzical look, Callina began to explain.

"One of his guards nearly refused to grant me entry to the Bann's estate unless I agreed to come in alone, then attempted to set his own terms. I've no doubt Bann Weseley himself instructed him to do so, but even so, the guard's reluctance and unwillingness to answer to me over his Bann spells out trouble. Anyone who would stand his ground as the guard did lacks respect for the king and queen."

Callina was not affronted personally by the lack of tact; she was not so highborn or prideful to believe she necessarily deserved to be respected merely because she was the wife of the king. But the manner in which these particular men outright refused to acknowledge her in courtesy left her with no explanation other than the fact that they did not seem willing to submit to customs of Ferelden. Political discourse was well and good, but you afforded everyone the courtesies of the land. She told Alistair as much, and he nodded as she spoke.

"I shall need to know more in order to decide on his fate. In any case I do not trust him … but his tale does seem legitimate. I'd believe that he told us the truth, if only to protect himself or curry favor. He would have us believe that he let his own fellow countrymen be killed in his place merely in service to the king and queen? It was fear for his life, to begin with, I've no doubt of that."

"There was something else," Callina said, at last content that Alistair had made his mind up about the Bann's fate. She told him of how he had led her to a small room far from the hall and attempted to rape her. Alistair stared at her in horror.

"Love," he gasped, "Why did you not tell me of this at once?"

"I did not want it to cloud your judgment, or at least make you think your judgment was clouded in hindsight. I wanted fair justice for the people the Bann had killed in his place; had I told you before, you would have sentenced him for that particular crime with the attempted rape in mind and condemned him either way. I know," she said as she took his hands firmly in hers, "that you would condemn him for the poor Fereldens who died for his treasonous actions either way, but I feared you would look back on this day and always wonder it for yourself."

The king leaned forward and pressed a forceful, wonderful kiss to Callina's lips. "I do love you so very much," he murmured. "I'd never be able to sit easily on this throne without your passionate words and sound judgment."

Alistair sighed deeply. "Well now I've no idea what to think. How could he hope to gain my favor when he tried to rape the Queen of Ferelden? It makes no sense."

"He believed that his information was so valuable that you would be required to protect him in exchange perhaps."

"That means he knows more than he told either of us. Damn him!"

"We should investigate this all further before we speak with him again, or take any measures."

"Yes, you are quite right." Alistair sighed again, then smiled. "But first, supper."

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

Callina's welcome home feast left nothing to be desired. Alistair smiled broadly as he watched his wife dine with the whole of her Warden guard on sweet cider, Brie tart, chitterling sausages, boiled eggs, oyster stew, smoked eel, roasted suckling pig, and apple and date pies. As she sat back in hear chair once she was sated, he slid his hand into hers and squeezed. There was a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth, so Callina kissed it.

When they rose from the table to retire for the evening, they left the room hand in hand.

"This feels just right," he said as the two of them walked down the corridor. "Having you home again."

Callina murmured in agreement. Alistair spoke of the state of affairs that he had been dealing with during her absence, but she was barely listening. As it was, he didn't seem to be speaking in anything more than generalities, his mind likely elsewhere as well.

The moment he closed the door of their rooms behind them, he ran to her. Callina smiled as he crushed his lips to hers, almost in a sort of desperation.

"I think it's time for this dress to come off," he whispered, moving his hands to struggle with the fastenings of her clothes. She didn't even care if the dress tore cleanly in half; she didn't really care about anything right now except the taste of Alistair's lips and the warmth of his body pressed against hers.

He pulled the bodice of her gown away at last and, grunting with triumphant pleasure, nearly tore away the underdress; he didn't even bother with her skirts as he pushed her backward slowly until she was thrust against the wall. He ran his hands down the length of her body as Callina pulled Alistair's tunic off of him as well. As soon as it was over his head, he pushed his chest against hers; Callina smiled as he captured her lips again. She felt his cock press insistently against her body and she chuckled softly, bringing a hand to cup the side of Alistair's face.

"By the Maker, I've never needed you so badly before," he gasped. Callina responded by pressing her lips to his neck to kiss and suck sweetly along it. Her husband let out a shuddering breath, then dipped his head down to suck at a nipple lightly. Callina's hands went to his hair as he licked and sucked at it, while letting his thumb run over the other lightly.

"Please …" she groaned. Alistair hummed gently against her breast, and the tingle of it spread throughout her whole body as he loosened her skirts with one hand; before they had even hit the ground he had a finger inside of her. Callina let out a tiny whimper as Alistair thrust his body to hers and continued to play at her breasts. She struggled to maintain control of her hands as she reached to pull Alistair's breeches down and grasp his cock. He sighed against her skin as she stroked him, just as she panted with her face pressed to the top of his head. The finger inside her probed deeper, startling a gasp of pleasure from her.

"Please," she breathed again. "Take me now. _Here_." Her voice was open and desperate.

Alistair groaned his approval, and it was a guttural, animalistic sound that had Callina breathless all over again. Then he was lifting her up, and Callina was wrapped her legs around him as he pushed forward and, in one stroke, sheathed himself inside her. She shook with delight and put her arms on her husband's shoulders as he pressed her back against the wall and rode her quickly; neither of them had the patience or ability to waste any more time simply touching.

Alistair's lips were at her throat, and he sucked and bit the flesh there with every thrust of his body. Callina tilted her head back and let herself yell freely as he took her. Her nails dug painfully into his back as she bucked her body against Alistair's to match his rhythm, until all too soon she felt herself falling over the edge. She screamed, her eyes streaming with the blissful effort of it all as she came, but did not slow down her body's movements. She let out a low sigh of contentment as Alistair continued to seek his pleasure within her; Callina bent her head to pull her husband's lips away from her neck and back to her mouth where they belonged. When their lips met once again, Alistair seemed to possess new vigor; he shoved himself deep inside Callina, and three strokes later he came with a shout akin to a bark of triumph.

Alistair carried Callina over to the bed then and laid her down, only to climb over her and press his lips back to hers. Her body was pleasantly languid, but a soft hand tracing a line down her side became difficult to ignore. She kissed him deeply, and when they broke apart at last, she could feel her husband's arousal stirring again. Callina let one hand clutch at the back of his neck as her lips swept along it, while the other curled around his cock.

Alistair's breathing became deep and ragged once more. He allowed Callina to suck and kiss the flesh of his neck harshly, and his head rested on the bed beneath them as he stammered words of pleasure between every gasp his wife was wringing from him.

Callina turned him round then and climbed astride him. She bent forward to kiss him; as their lips met, Callina took him fully inside her once more. It was slow and gentle this time; they rocked back and forth, content for him to merely remain seated within her for a time. It felt nice, knowing how well he fit there. How well he _belonged_ there.

Alistair came first, and Callina smiled as she felt him fill her with his seed. She slid off him and curled up next to him, not yet sated completely but too happy to seek anything further just now. She closed her eyes as she pressed her face into the crook of her husband's arm, only to gasp as his finger entered her. Callina leaned up and kissed at Alistair's neck and shoulders as he moved quickly inside her; she bit his shoulder and came with a silent scream that he bent forward to claim.

When their lips met again, they both wore smiles.


	7. Chapter 6

The following morning, as they breakfasted on leftover chitterlings and eggs, Alistair and Callina discussed the conspiracy in low voices.

"I shall send scouts out to pick up information, and when we find something we can act on, we will see it through together," Alistair said. In the meantime, of course, it seemed that there was little they could do other than wait.

They did not, however, have to wait long. Scarcely a month later, news came to Denerim that several spies were found near Redcliffe discussing a potential plot they claimed the Grey Wardens were cooking up. The royal scout fed the man a few more glasses of ale until he admitted something shocking. It was so shocking, in fact, that the scout had refused to speak of it unless it was in private with the king and queen only.

"Can you repeat what the spy said, word for word?" Alistair asked the scout now in a low voice.

"He said 'There are spies in the royal palace. We intend to find out what the Wardens are really up to.'"

Coldness clutched at Callina's heart as the scout spoke the words. This was not Orlais, where spies aplenty were found all over court, yet somehow someone was bringing the political game to Ferelden.

When the scout left, Callina turned to Alistair, and she saw the fear in his eyes. The same fear that was in hers. He grabbed her hand and whispered to her.

"Nothing will happen to us. Not while I am king, and you are queen." Callina nodded. She believed him.

"Purging the entire castle to weed out spies would be a tiring and foolish endeavor," she said. "They think us Orlesian sympathizers, but they are the ones who employ Orlesian tactics to uproot the kingdom?"

Alistair chuckled at this. "But you suggest playing the game, as it were, do you not?"

"I do not particularly relish the idea, but it might be the best option, Alistair. Purging the castle would look like paranoia, the first step in a descent toward a king's madness. Then again, I would rather face darkspawn than this, if I had the choice."

Her husband nodded. "They, at least, are predictable."

"We need our own people close to us. We should pretend that we know nothing of the presence of these spies, and when we speak with our so-called advisors, lead them astray in terms of what we believe and plan to do. Meanwhile, we depend only on those we can truly trust with our lives. People we know."

"Marrying a teyrn's daughter does have its advantages," Alistair remarked with a smile. "Namely, political clout. I knew there must have been _some _reason I married you."

"I'd have been insulted if you _only _married me for my good looks."

"Your _grea_t looks, that is." Alistair leaned forward and kissed Callina softly. "I like your plan. Well, approve of, at any rate. Why is it we couldn't we have a nice, quiet rule after the Blight? A boring life of luxury with a couple of k –"

He stopped, and his face fell as he realized what he had been about to say. "Callina – love, I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"

Callina forced herself to soften her expression even as the bottom dropped out of her stomach. She made her voice be gentle. "Forget it, Alistair. I know what you mean."

Of course he wanted children. She wanted children too. No, she didn't need a lot; she just wanted one. She would be fine with one single son or daughter to carry on the Theirin bloodline, to ensure that a piece of Ferelden's history was not completely lost. She knew full well that Alistair didn't really care about kids as much as he did about her, but of course he also longed for a child deep down. He just tried to hide it for Callina's sake, to keep her from spiraling into guilt and depression.

Callina sighed and gave her husband a quick kiss, just so he would know she was not angry. "I think it's time," she said, turning back to the matter at hand, "it's time to call on an old friend."

***D~D~D***

***D~D~D***

Garwyn cursed under her breath. Jaari was weeping softly in the corner of their quarters while Kanae consoled her halfheartedly.

"I don't know what we did wrong," she kept saying. "Why does the Queen not want us anymore? She always seemed to like us!"

Garwyn, of course, knew the reason. Someone had opened their fat mouth about her presence here. And now the queen would be receiving three new handmaidens to care for her; Queen Callina's safety was a top priority. That meant excusing three loyal girls, hard as it might be, on the off-chance one of them was a spy.

When the two other girls finally fell into a restless sleep, Garwyn slipped out of her bed and out the door. She hurried along the corridors as quietly and quickly as she could; multiple late-night excursions had left her quite adept at making the trip completely undetected. She hurried down to the scullery and knocked on the door. When it opened, a broad, squat-faced woman poked her head out to see who was there.

"Garwyn," she said simply by way of greeting. "I have no poultices for you just yet."

"We have a problem, Taless," Garwyn cut her off as she stepped inside the door. "They know. I don't know how much, but it was enough to sack me and the queen's other two handmaidens. Tonight was my last night in the castle."

Taless's face contorted. She turned away and spit on the ground in anger. "The last dose I gave you will wear off in less than a month's time. Hardly time enough to find an alternative."

"We have to tell Molsar. He'll have a plan."

Taless nodded.


End file.
